1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to displaying personal information at a video display device. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for displaying consolidated personal information from different applications in a manner that indicates both the importance and urgency of data items included in the personal information.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Computers have revolutionized our way of life by enhancing our ability to view information. An individual need only have a computer system containing application programs and a computer monitor to be able to view a wide variety of personal information. Application programs often access such personal information from local storage devices (e.g. hard disks) and/or computer networks (e.g. the Internet) and display the information at a computer monitor.
Personal information, such as that accessed by application programs, may be viewed as having both an urgency and an importance. Urgent personal information may be information that requires immediate action or attention by a particular user. For example, a meeting that is occurring in five minutes. Important personal information may be personal information that has significant value to the particular user. For example, spending time with one's spouse.
Some personal information may be both urgent and important. For example, a meeting with the company president in five minutes. However, other personal information may have increased urgency and decreased importance. For example, a meeting with an annoying sales person in five minutes. Likewise, other personal information may have increased importance and decreased urgency. For example, attending a grandchild's little league game in two weeks.
Application programs often include the functionality to display visual reminders associated with personal information. For example, reminding a user of a currently scheduled meeting or that a bill is past due. These visual reminders are frequently displayed to alert a user as to a level of urgency associated with personal information. However, such visual reminders are not displayed based on the importance of personal information. Further, such visual reminders do not include any indication of the importance of personal information when the visual reminders are displayed. This is problematic, as a user may desire to be made aware of the importance of personal information as well as the urgency of personal information.
Further each application may store personal information in a different format. A calendar application may store personal information in a first format, an electronic message application may store personal information in a second format, a financial application may store personal information in a third format, etc. Thus, even if such applications were capable of displaying personal information based on importance or in a manner that indicates importance, a number of applications would have to be able to display the importance of personal information from different aspects of a person's life.
Therefore, what are desired are systems, methods, and computer program products, for displaying personal information so as to indicate both the importance and the urgency of the personal information.